In fact, the next gubernatorial
campaign kicked off almost immediately after Chris Christie’s re-election in
November. Two weeks later to be precise.

At the annual League of
Municipalities Convention in Atlantic City, Sweeney hosted a well-attended
reception. That’s not unusual for a legislative
leader. The incoming Assembly Speaker,
Vincent Prieto, held another well-attended event that week.

What was unusual was the high
profile reception hosted by the brand new mayor of Jersey City the next evening. The 5th floor of the Chelsea Hotel
was jam-packed with Democratic movers and shakers jockeying to rub shoulders
with a rising star. Fulop made an
unmistakable statement that night – he fully intends to be a major player in
state politics.

I do not doubt that Sweeney’s
interest in statewide issues, such as the Sandy Victim’s Bill of Rights, is
genuinely part of his role as New Jersey’s legislative leader. I also believe that Fulop’s active
participation in the Newark mayor’s race is to help foster a united front on
urban issues.

You cannot ignore, though, that
these moves are equally about shoring up support, and supporters, in counties that
will be crucial in a contested Democratic priority. While neither has actually declared his
candidacy, both are engaging in behavior that can only be read as the intent to
run if the opportunity presents itself.

I have never seen this level of
activity four years ahead of a scheduled election. The key word there being “scheduled.” There’s a decent possibility that the next
gubernatorial election will occur earlier than scheduled.

Back in November, some
observers believed that Gov. Christie may end up resigning early in order to run
for president; a resignation necessitated by federal campaign funding
rules. This would result in a special
election one or even two years early. While
Christie’s presidential prospects may have dimmed, there are still some who believe
the state may be facing an early election, albeit for distinctly different reasons.

The bottom line is that
potential candidates for New Jersey’s next governor have to be prepared to run
at any time. They cannot count on a four
year timeline to undertake the groundwork for launching a campaign.

Under normal circumstances, a
mayor would not want to be seen as actively looking to move up the ladder after
just a few months on the job. If Fulop
followed the normal course of a rising prospect by quietly building support,
though, he could be on left out in the cold when it comes time to claim county
lines in an early primary.

Thus, the mayor of Jersey City has
decided to up the ante. The Newark mayor’s
race is as much about who will control the Essex County party during the next
gubernatorial primary as it is about who will run Newark. It also doesn’t escape notice that the candidate
Fulop is hoping to defeat could be another gubernatorial contender with urban credentials
to rival Fulop’s if he won.

If he wants to position himself
for the governorship, Steve Fulop cannot afford to cede the field to Steve Sweeney. But this also means that the Senate President
has been forced to up his game as well.

One danger in an overly protracted
campaign is that either or both candidates could flame out. It’s also possible that either or both
candidates may choose not to run when the time comes. But with an uncertain horizon for the next election,
both need to be ready.

Some may see Steve Sweeney’s current
statewide tour as a gubernatorial gavotte, but in this case
it takes two to tango.